Wheel unit for fitness equipment

ABSTRACT

A wheel unit for fitness equipment includes a frame which has a wheel pivotably connected thereto. The frame is connected to the front end of the fitness equipment by a first bolt. The wheel of the frame contacts the ground by lifting the rear end of the fitness equipment, such that the fitness equipment can easily be moved between storage place and gym effortlessly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fields of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wheel unit for fitness equipment, andmore particularly, to a wheel unit for fitness equipment that is easilyoperate to move the fitness equipment.

2. Descriptions of Related Art

Poor weather, severe outdoor temperature and time schedule can be one ofthe reasons to restrict people from taking exercise. Indoor exercise isless restricted by the climate change and temperature, which can dispelthe idea of not wanting to exercise. Indoor exercise fitness equipmentgenerally includes treadmills, sliding step machines, and exercise bikesto exercise people's lower body. Some known fitness equipment such asTaiwanese model patents M598171 and M594228, CN212038791U, andCN210751098U.

The indoor space is not sufficient and quite limited due to populationconcentration and urbanization, and the conventional fitness equipmentis bulky and heavy. There must have a proper room for storage of thefitness equipment, and it must be placed to avoid affecting people'smovement of the activity. For the convenience of transportation of theaforementioned fitness equipment, most of them are equipped with wheelsat the front end of the base position of the fitness equipment. Peopleneed to lift from the rear end of the fitness equipment, to contact withthe wheels to the ground so as to move the equipment easily.

However, most of the wheels are arranged upwards from the front end ofthe fitness equipment, thus resulting in a distance between the wheelsand the ground. That is to say, the rear of the fitness equipment mustbe lifted to a certain height from the ground to let the wheels contactthe ground, which makes the movement quite laborious.

The present invention intends to provide a wheel unit for fitnessequipment to eliminate the shortcomings mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wheel unit for fitness equipment, andcomprises a frame which includes a base and two extensions. The twoextensions extend from the first end face of the base so as to form aroom between the two extensions and the first end face of the base. Thebase includes a passage defined transversely through two outsidesurfaces of the base. The two outside surfaces are located opposite toeach other. The first end face and the two outside surfaces facedifferent directions. A wheel IS pivotably connected between the twoextensions and partially protrudes beyond the room. A first bolt extendsthrough the passage and is connected to a fitness equipment.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a wheel unitfor fitness equipment, wherein the wheel unit includes a frame with awheel pivotably connected thereto. The frame is connected to the frontend of the fitness equipment so that the wheel of the frame contacts theground by lifting the rear end of the fitness equipment to easily movethe fitness equipment.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the wheel unit of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the wheel unit of the present inventionand the fitness equipment to which the wheel unit is installed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view to show the fitness equipment equipped withthe wheel units of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the fitness equipment equipped with the wheelunits of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows that a user lifts the rear end of the fitness equipment,and the wheel units of the present invention contact the ground;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view, taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view to show that the wheel units ofthe present invention contact the ground when the rear end of thefitness equipment is lifted;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view to show the wheel unit of the presentinvention connected to the fitness equipment, and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view to show the wheel unit of the presentinvention contacts the ground when the rear end of the fitness equipmentis lifted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the wheel unit 200 of the present inventionfor fitness equipment 100 comprises a frame 300 which has a base 310 andtwo extensions 320. The two extensions 320 extend from the first endface 311 of the base 310. A room 330 is formed between the twoextensions 320 and the first end face 311 of the base 310. The base 310includes a passage 312 defined transversely through two outside surfaces313 of the base 310. The two outside surfaces 313 are located oppositeto each other. The first end face 311 faces the direction that isdifferent from the direction that each of the two outside surfaces 313faces. A wheel 400 is pivotably connected between the two extensions 320and partially protrudes beyond the room 330. A first bolt 500 extendsthrough the passage 312 and is connected to a fitness equipment 100.

The fitness equipment 100 is a stationary bike in this embodiment, thefront end of the fitness equipment 100 is on the right of the drawings,and the rear end of the fitness equipment 100 is one the left of thedrawings. Two wheel units 200 of the present invention are installed tofront bar 110 of the front end of the fitness equipment 100. The frontbar 110 of the fitness equipment 100 includes two notches 120, and eachnotch 120 opens through the top, the front and the bottom of the frontbar 110. The base 310 of the frame 300 is positioned in the notch 120corresponding thereto by the first bolt 500 that extends through thepassage 312 and is fixed to the front bar 110. The two extensions 320protrude beyond the front bar 110.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the base 310 of the frame 300 is positioned inthe notch 120 corresponding thereto by the first bolt 500 that extendsthrough the passage 312 and is fixed to the front bar 110. The twoextensions 320 protrude beyond the front bar 110. The extensions 320extend outward and downward relative to the front bar 110 so that thewheel 400 is located close to the ground. When a user lifts the rear end(the seat 130) of the fitness equipment 100, the rear bar 140 isslightly lifted from the ground, the wheels 400 connected to the frontbar 110 can contact the ground. Therefore, the fitness equipment 100 iseasily moved to achieve the purpose of the present invention. The oldwheels can be replaced with the wheel units 200 of the present inventioneasily and conveniently.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, the base 310 includes a threaded hole 314defined inclinedly relative to the axis of the base 310. The threadedhole 314 extends through the top face 315 and the second end face 316 ofthe base 310. A second bolt 600 is threadedly connected to the threadedhole 314. An end of the second bolt 600 extends beyond the second endface 316 and contacts the inside of the notch 120 of the fitnessequipment 100. The second end face 316 and the first end face 311 arelocated on the base 310 and opposite to each other. The first and secondbolts 500, 600 respectively secure the base 310 of the frame 300 to thenotch 120 from two different directions. The second bolt 600 contactsthe inside of the notch 120 of the fitness equipment 100 to prevent theframe 300 from pivoting about the first bolt 500.

A first imaginary plane 340 extends along the top face 315 of the base310. An angle θ of 8 degrees is formed between the first imaginary plane340 and the two extensions 320. As shown in FIG. 6, the angle θ isformed between the first imaginary plane 340 and a second imaginaryplane 350 that extends along the downward top face of the two extensions320.

Two shoulders 317 are formed between the outside surfaces 313 of thebase 310 and the two extensions 317. The two shoulders 317 are locatedclose to the extensions 320. When the base 310 is partially located inthe notch 120, the shoulders 370 contact the outer end 121 of the notch120 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9. When moving the fitnessequipment 100, the shoulders 317 share a portion of the weight of thefitness equipment 100 via the outer ends 121 of the notches 120.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wheel unit for fitness equipment, comprising: aframe having a base and two extensions, the two extensions extendingfrom a first end face of the base, a room formed between the twoextensions and the first end face of the base, the base including apassage defined transversely through two outside surfaces of the base,the two outside surfaces located opposite to each other, the first endface facing a direction that is different from a direction that each ofthe two outside surfaces faces; a wheel pivotably connected between thetwo extensions and partially protruding beyond the room, and a firstbolt extending through the passage and being adapted to be connected toa fitness equipment.
 2. The wheel unit for fitness equipment as claimedin claim 1, wherein the base includes a threaded hole defined inclinedlyrelative to an axis of the base, the threaded hole extends through a topface and a second end face of the base, a second bolt is threadedlyconnected to the threaded hole, an end of the second bolt extends beyondthe second end face and is adapted to contact the fitness equipment. 3.The wheel unit for fitness equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein afirst imaginary plane extends along the top face of the base, an angleof 8 degrees is formed between the first imaginary plane and the twoextensions.
 4. The wheel unit for fitness equipment as claimed in claim1, wherein two shoulders are formed between the outside surfaces of thebase and the two extensions.